Archive for February 24th, 2014

Remember that instance a couple years ago when, if you wanted to find out what was in the new fire fighter union contract before the DeKalb council voted on it, you had to go visit the city manager? Because the contract wasn’t included in the council meeting agenda available online?

Proposed state legislation co-sponsored, among others, by neighbor-representatives Tom Demmer and Joe Sosnowski would make that sort of thing a trick of the past. Here’s the synopsis of the bill:

Amends the Illinois Public Labor Relations Act and the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Act. Provides that, once an agreement is reached between a public or educational employer and its employees regarding all of the terms of a collective bargaining agreement, the agreement shall be reduced to writing and published on the website of the public or educational employer. Requires the public or educational employer, not less than 14 days after publishing such an agreement, to hold an open public meeting on the ratification of that agreement. Makes conforming changes in the Open Meetings Act and the Freedom of Information Act. Effective immediately.

I love it when things make sense. Hopefully the legislation doesn’t die in Rules Committee.